Beloved
by Stickybuns
Summary: "Take my heart, Blessed be. Make it unknown to me." Isabella Swan watched what the heartbreak of an ancestor did to her own mother. Determined not to suffer the same fate, she casts a spell to protect herself. Is magic enough when fate plays its hand?
1. Chapter 1

"Powers of the witches rise  
>Course unseen across the skies<br>Come to me, who call you near  
>Come to me, and settle here<p>

Troubled heart with love's unease  
>Remove the cause of this disease<br>Love eternal nevermore  
>And shift this source of illness borne"<p>

Isabella chanted the words so low, they were barely a whisper. She kept saying them over and over again. Rocking back and forth. Taking deep breaths. Abruptly, most of her candles went out. The lights flickered. And she wondered if she had maybe let her anger get the best of her. She started flipping through the pages of the spell book, frantically looking for something to stop this.

Something wasn't right. Spells didn't feel this way. She felt ill. She was sweating.

And then everything went black. There was something there. Something dark... cold. And it had such a tight hold on her… there was no way she could make it let go.

"What have I done?" she whispers. But it's too late. No one can hear her now.

As the words fall from her lips, the last candle, burning bright, extinguishes.

As does Isabella's hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**So here's chapter 2! As you've probably noticed the chapters are pretty short. They will get longer, but not too long. I don't know how long the story will end up being. For now it's at around 15 chapters. But that could always change. **

**As I mentioned on my profile, this is a fic loosely based on the movie Practical Magic. The prologue hasn't happened yet in this chapter. But do not fret… we'll get there.**

**Thank you SO much for all of you who read, reviewed, favorited and even put the story on alert. I… I just… Thank you. So enough of the mush. On with the show!**

**À tantôt, mes chéries!**

Isabella lay in her bed, thinking about the spell she had cast all those years ago. She was so sure. So absolutely sure it had worked. She twirled her wedding ring around her finger, getting lost in the memories.

_Meeting Jacob…_

_Being so scared, so terrified of what could happen…_

_Falling in love with him… Getting married…_

_The accident…_

She choked back a sob and curled in on herself. It had been a month, but it still felt so sudden, like it had happened yesterday. Jacob had a heart attack, at 28. Who has a heart attack under the age of 30? Her husband, that's who.

The man who thought it was safe to marry into her godforsaken family. She groaned and rolled over, turning towards the window in her bedroom. It was still light out, beginning of spring and the sun was shining so bright. But Isabella could not see past her own misery… She could not feel the warmth the sun provided, for she was buried in the shadows.

_Isabella always knew she was different, that her family was different. Ever since she was a little girl, she could feel it. And soon, she could even see it. Her mother always made the most unbelievable things happen. The candles on her birthday cake would just light up, the broom would move on its own, food in the pot would stir itself..._

_Her mother, Renee, made sure to tell her little girl that she was special. That if she just thought hard enough, she could make anything happen. And so, Bella focused and absorbed every word her mother told her about their ability. She would make her dolls play and fix her bed without lifting a finger. Isabella believed that this gift was the most amazing thing in the world! _

_But that didn't last long._

_When Isabella was 9 years old her father, Charlie, was killed. It was an accident. A drunk driver had run him off the road. At least that's what her mother had told her. _

_One night, a few days after the accident, Isabella tip toed out of bed and followed the noises coming out of the kitchen. She stood behind the door watching her mother argue with her aunt Elizabeth. Elizabeth, her mother's sister, had rushed home as soon as she had heard about Charlie. _

"_It cannot be done, Renee."_

"_I don't care. Please. I can't… I can't breathe without him. Please, Beth." She sobbed. She fell to her knees, clutching her chest. "Bring him back to me" she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks._

"_It won't be Charlie, Rey. It might look like him, but it won't be your Charlie." She bent down to face her sister, holding her hand and pulling her into a hug. "It will be dark and evil… it will be death."_

"_You don't understand" cried Renee "I'll die. I cannot be without him."_

_Isabella could hear no more. She ran up to her room, terrified of the words that had fallen from her mother's lips. _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Hello girlies!**

**So here is the next chapter for you… slightly longer than the first two. A BIG thank you to My Chérie, for fixing my mistakes and to J… for well… everything. Lol**

**Enjoy! If you like it, let me know… if not… well, that`s your choice. **

**À tantôt mes chéries!**

Isabella had managed to get herself out of bed, with the help of her friend Rose. If it weren't for that woman, she would be holed up in her house, living with 20 cats. She had gone back to work, sharpening the 8 year old minds of her students.

Isabella was a wonderful teacher. She was patient and kind, and took the time to help each and every one of her students.

The end of the year was approaching and with it came a slew of gossip. The town was buzzing with excitement. Newell was a small town situated in the North Eastern part of the country. People barely knew it existed. It was so small that it didn't even have its own hospital. You had to drive thirty minutes to get to the nearest one. So one could imagine the frenzy that had hit this small town, when they heard of the good doctor who was moving to town, planning on building his own clinic.

Dr. Cullen, a prominent doctor from Northwestern Memorial in Chicago, had decided that he needed to get away from the big city, so he was moving to Newell, along with his wife Esme.

* * *

><p>Isabella was grateful that it was Friday. She had had a long week and needed to unwind. Rose was picking her up at 7:00 and they were going to go to this bar that a few minutes outside of town.<p>

She wasn't dressed up, not by any means, but she still tried to look sexy in what she wore. She wore dark jeans rolled at the bottom and a loose tank, paired with her flats. Her hair was a curly mess, but she liked it that way, and her makeup was light, just some mascara and lip balm.

It had been almost two years since Jacob's death and she had finally taken off her wedding ring, realising that she needed to move on. She wasn't exactly ready to date, but she could look at a man without feeling a crippling guilt overwhelm her.

Rose strode into the bar like she owned the place. She actually might have. Not one man in the entire establishment kept his mouth closed when she walked in. She was sex. On legs. Isabella laughed at the scene before her. These men were so predictable. No wonder Rose wasn't interested in any of them.

They walked up to the bar, settling in on the high chairs. Jasper, the owner, greeted the two women and asked them what they would like. Bella and Rose weren't complicated women. They didn't care about the girlie drinks or the straws… They just wanted a beer.

Swinging around in their seats, they eyed the room, looking for the individuals that would entertain them for the evening. They were by no means taking anyone home, but people watching was their favourite pastime.

"Did you hear about the Cullens?" asked Rose, slurping on her beer. "The doc bought old Callaghan's house, out by the lake."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that. Didn't they move in last month?"

"Mhm… and their sons came along too." Rose waggled her eyebrows giving Bella a crude stare.

"Their sons? I thought it was just the two of them?"

"Good lord woman, do you not listen to ANYTHING I tell you? Their sons are architects and they're the ones that are designing the clinic. They're here to build it for their dad and then they're going back to Chicago!" she finished, exasperated that her friend knew nothing about the latest town gossip.

"O-kayyyy?" she shrugged, not understanding what was so important about the fact that the younger Cullens were moving to town.

"Wait. You'll see." Rose smirked, gulping down the last of her beer.

A half hour later, Bella was buzzing from her two beers and enjoying the music flowing out of the speakers. She was glancing around the room, taking in the different people when something at the door caught her eye.

There, walking in, with his hands in his front pockets, was the most gorgeous man she had seen. Dark jeans hung low on his hips, and his hands in his pockets pushed them even lower, so that a sliver of his black boxers peaked out. He wore a white v-neck t-shirt and black sneakers. He looked laid back, casual and yet oh so sexy. He had a bit of stubble and his hair was a mess. But as soon as he looked up, Bella could hardly breathe. It was as if all the air had suddenly left her body.

She was shocked and aroused and nervous and… and… What the hell was going on? She snapped out of it and turned around, facing the bar.

"Jas? Can you get me another beer?" She drummed her fingers on the bar, trying to force herself to sit forward, not to turn around and undress the beast of a man with her eyes. What had gotten into her? She didn't act like this. She didn't pant over a man. Any man. Not even Jake.

The thought of her late husband calmed her. Made her start taking deep breaths again, instead of those short raspy ones that had taken over a few minutes prior.

Rose plopped herself into the seat next to hers. "So? Did you see? Did you? God, isn't he delicious? I want to grab a hold of him, push him up against the wall and just…"

"Rose!" Bella hissed, annoyed that Rose was talking about him that way.

"What? Did you see those curls? His muscles? That man could definitely take me up against a wall. Gawd." At that, Isabella stopped. Curls? Black Boxers didn't have curly hair. He didn't even have that many muscles.

"Who are you talking about?" she turned around, looking in the direction where Rose was salivating. There he was, standing with a monster of a man. HE was all curls and muscles. Cute little dimples adorned his face, every time he laughed. He was cute, but not Isabella's type. His friend? Now that was definitely her idea of 'delicious'. "Who are they?"

Rose chuckled, feeling light headed from her 3 beers. "That? That would be Dr Cullen's sons." She gave a pointed look to her friend, tipping her bottle towards them. "Yeah. I know."

Rose cleared her throat, straightened her shirt and turned to face her friend. The most serious look crossed her face. "I want to mount him." Isabella almost spit the sip of beer she was swallowing.

"Jesus, Rose!" she laughed. "You almost made me choke!"

"I know. I'm sorry. But, it's true. I wanna ride him. I wanna make him sweat and beg me to stop. I want to exhaust him. And then sit on his face." She exhaled deeply, her eyes squeezing shut.

Isabella sits there, staring at her friend, her mouth hanging open. "Oh my God," she cries, "Have you lost your mind?" She is laughing so hard she can barely get the words out.

"No. No, I haven't. It just has been too long. I need to get laid. And I want him to give it to me!"

Just as she was about to wrap her hand around Rose's arm, someone cleared their throat, getting both hers and Rose's attention. It was Mr. Muscle man. And he was smiling at Rose.

"Hi, umm. I'm Emmett and I was... euh… wondering if I could get you a drink?" he's rubbing the back of his neck and he actually looks nervous. Bella takes a step back and just watches the two interact, a smile playing on her lips. She's thinking about Rose's previous thoughts and starts chuckling.

"Something funny?" the words are almost being whispered in her ear. He's so close. She turns around, almost bumping into him.

"Um… just something my friend was telling me. Before. Yeah." She wants to die. Crawl into a hole and just stop living.

"You mean about wanting to sit on Em's face?" he snorts, not able to hold it in any longer.

"Shit. Shit shit shit." She's shaking her head, covering her eyes. "She's really drunk. She's not usually so crude, really." She's trying so hard to sound believable. To convince him that her friend is not some pony that goes around giving rides.

"Hey" he laughs. "It's okay. I think she's hilarious. Besides, Emmett's pretty much the same thing. When he stops acting like an idiot, that is. He's kinda shy." He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink.

Emmett and Rose keep talking while Bella and Black Boxers just stand there watching them. As soon as Rose hands Emmett her number, Bella decides that she needs to get her out of here. She's too tipsy. And she might do something she'll regret tomorrow.

* * *

><p>She snuggled into her bed, thinking about the night's events. Who was this man? He made her feel… different… off. She was with him for a grand total of 15 minutes and yet everything just felt…off. She tried to push those thoughts away. She was doing better. She was enjoying herself again. She didn't need to involve a man. No. That just complicated things.<p>

* * *

><p><em>That night had prepared her. When Renee finally took her life, Bella wasn't even surprised. She had expected it. <em>

_After Charlie's death, Renee was a shell of her former self. She wouldn't eat, she barely slept, she would just write. Isabella had gotten close enough to her one day, curious to see what her mother kept scribbling and erasing on those sheets of paper._

_They were spells. But not the spells Bella was used to seeing. These words were dark. They were the soot that ended up choking Renee. They drowned her, from the inside out; taking her life, one breath at a time. _

_They were never told how Renee had died. Inconclusive results, is what they had said. Isabella knew. Renee's pain had killed her. Her need to find a way to bring him back had made her go mad. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Sooooo sorry for the delay on this. RL can be so crappy some times, can't it? I've started chapter 5. Hope you guys are still reading this. **

**Thanks to my Cherie d'amour for beta-ing this and for my Tatertot for all her help. **

**Enjoy!**

Isabella sat in the booth of a tiny diner, the most popular place to grab a bite in her little town. She had a book with her and was submerged in the story, holding the book with one hand and her sandwich with the other. She was so lost in the words that she didn't even see him coming.

"Bella, right?" He asks. His hands are stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans and his head is leaning into the booth, trying to get her attention. She startles and quickly swallows the bite of her BLT that she was chewing.

"Um. Yeah. Hi…" she fidgets. She sits up in her seat, sets her book down and looks around, slightly uncomfortable with having to talk to this gorgeous man by herself. She motions to the seat across from her and finally looks up, making eye contact with him. She tries so hard not to gape at him, but it's practically impossible.

He's a mess. All ripped, dirty jeans and a holey t-shirt, and a construction boots covering his feet. His hair is wild, flying in every direction and he looks like he hasn't shaved in a few days. And yet, all she wants to do is jump him. Jump him and undress him.

She shakes herself out of it and watches him settle into the seat. She forces herself to talk to him, not wanting any awkward silent moments. "So… Construction?" she motions to his shoes.

"What? Oh. Yeah. These give me away, huh?" he chuckles stiffly, while rubbing his ear. It seems like she isn't the only person who's nervous. "Lunch time and the site isn't too far from here and since I'm new… I figured this place would be my safest bet."

She nods while picking at the corner of her sandwich. "They have pretty good food here. You won't be disappointed." She finally looks up and smiles at him.

"Thanks." He still looks lost and uncertain. Not sure if he should start up another conversation or just leave. "So … I guess I'll see you around. Enjoy your lunch." He places his hand on the table, as if to pat it and wish her goodbye.

She practically chokes as she finally finds the courage to speak up. "Would you like to join me?"

They spend the next hour getting to know each other; Bella talking about her job and Edward about the clinic. She's careful to stay away from the topic of her family. Just the thought of having to talk about Jacob makes tears come to her eyes. She isn't still mourning. No... she found a way to let him go. But the guilt she feels for what happened to him? That is still very present. No matter who she speaks to, or how many times she hears that it wasn't her fault, she just can't shake that feeling. That nagging suspicion that... that she actually killed him.

A few more weeks pass and Bella sees Edward around town, but the two never have more than a few minutes together. A simple 'hello' and a 'how are you' is as far as they get.

The clinic has gone up much faster than she expected. The grand opening is in a week and the entire town is buzzing with excitement. It felt like there was a celebrity coming. Almost everyone in town had gotten an invitation, so naturally Rose was dragging Bella to the big event.

"Listen here cat lady, if you're happy with the idea of your vag retiring, that's coo. I, on the other hand, need to get laid. So get your flabby ass up those stairs, put on whatever makes you look presentable and get in the goddamn car!" She says this so fast that it barely looks like she took a breath. Bella just stands there, staring at her, wondering if she should invite her to her next therapy session.

Seeing Bella's stunned expression, Rose clasps her hands around her friend's arms and leads her towards the stairs. She turns her around and slaps her ass once, sending her on her way.

Bella stands in front of her mirror, putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She is wearing a dark pair of skinny jeans and a flowy long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Her hair is loose and wavy and she's got barely a touch of makeup on her face. She can do better than this, but really, who is she trying to impress?

She knows. She knows she wants him to notice her, but she convinces herself that it's too soon. That she can't go through another loss. She can't fall in love and have another one die. The thought makes her shudder. She closes the lights and heads downstairs, ready to make her friend happy.

They've been at the event for about an hour and it seems to be dying out. She lost Rose from the beginning, as she's been glued to Emmett's side. They've gotten to know each other, gone on a few dates and things seem to be working out.

She watches them from her corner, glass of wine in hand. Rose is laughing at something the mammoth of a man just said. He's cute, in that oversized teddy bear kind of way. He's leaning into her, his hand resting on her lower back and it's as if her words are gold. He's captivated and Bella can't help but sigh at her friends' relationship.

She remembers what that felt like. That tightening in your stomach whenever he would lean into you. Get close. Touch you.

She wants to drown in it: this feeling of dread that is threatening to overtake her. The sorrow that sometimes makes her want to give up. But she can't. She won't. She's worked too hard on moving past this, and she will not allow herself to backtrack.

She sets her wine glass on the trey - tray of one of the servers and makes her move towards Rose. She's ready to go home, but she doesn't want to ruin Rose's night, so she's just going to cab it.

As she moves through the room, so does Edward. And by the time she reaches Rose and Emmett, so has he.

"Oh hey guys!" Rose smiles at both her and Edward, wiggling her eyebrows at her best friend while Edward isn't looking.

"Bella, you look lovely," he whispers, while leaning into her so as to not make her uncomfortable with his compliment. His hand had gently moved to her elbow while his mouth hovered right next to her ear. She could feel his warm breath and it made her shiver.

"Thank you," she says shyly, as her hands move to straighten out the invisible wrinkles on her dress, "That's really sweet."

Unable to handle the attention on her, she focuses on Rose, ready to wish her goodnight.

"So, um… I think I'm going to head home. Long night and all. I'm just going to call a cab, okay?"

Rose sensing her 'in' points out that she shouldn't be leaving by herself and that there must be _someone _around here that can give her a lift. Realizing what her friend is up to, Bella immediately starts shaking her head no, but is interrupted by the voice she least wanted to hear at the moment.

"I'll drive you. I mean, it's on my way home... and I was going to head out anyway. If that's okay with you, of course." Bella has been staring at him with a blank look on her face from the moment he started speaking. She didn't like the unknown awkwardness between them and she was sure declining his offer would only add to the tension.

She straightens her back, blinks away her discomfort and simply nods, unable to form the words. They walk to the coat check section, retrieve their jackets and slowly head to the door. His car wasn't too far and so they walk to it together, neither speaking a word.

She's - She settles into the passenger seat, seatbelt buckled in and rubbing her hands together for some warmth.

"Why the hell is this so damn awkward?" he blurts, turning around to face her. She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting anything at all, but most definitely not this. She thought there would be some meaningless small talk. But not this. Not this direct question about whatever it is that is making it so impossible for them to be around each other.

And with his few words, it's as if her body just relaxes. She exhales loudly and starts laughing. "Jesus, I have absolutely no idea." She finally looks at him and the corner of his mouth is lifting, ever so slightly, and he starts laughing with her.

"It's just been awkward, right? Like we should be avoiding each other? And I had no idea why… Thought maybe you might." He puts the car in drive and peels out of the parking lot.

She hasn't said a word after her laugh died down. Not sure if she should continue talking about it or just move onto something else.

"Do you want to go out? With me. On a date." They are at a red light and she can't help how her eyes have bulged out of their sockets. "I mean. I think that's it, you know? The reason things are weird." He isn't even looking at her, just holding on to the steering wheel and staring straight ahead.

"Things are weird because you think I want to go out with you?" She's smiling, not sure if he's usually such a talker, or if this is all nerves. The light is green and he's started driving again. She wished he would look at her so that she could maybe know what he's feeling, but she decides to keep that to herself.

"Do you?" she was so busy observing him, she hadn't actually thought of what she would say. Should she be honest? Tell him she would love to? But what would that accomplish? She had a feeling she could really grow to care for this man. And for what? To have everything happen all over again? To lose him too?

"I… I can't." She struggles with the words. She doesn't want to say them, but she has no choice. She will not curse him to this fate. She's knows that they're nowhere near love or marriage or a life together, but she won't let it reach the point where it's too late and they're both stuck.

"There are things. Things that make this complicated. I would never want you to get hurt." They've come to a stop in front of her house and she hasn't had the heart to look up. She knows she has to get out of the car, so she unbuckles her belt and prepares for the hurt look that might be staring back at her. "I'm so sorry, Edward," she says while finally looking up into his eyes.

What she sees there is not what she was expecting. Edward doesn't look hurt. He doesn't even look upset. He's… he's smiling?

"So…what you're saying is that you want to go out with me, but you can't?" he repeats, just to make sure that he understood her correctly.

"I… yes. That's what I said." She's flustered and completely unprepared for this kind of situation.

"Ok then. Have a good night Bella," he leans over and plants a sweet kiss on her cheek before getting out of the car to open her door. He takes her hand and walks her to her front steps before turning around, getting back into the car and driving off.

She's baffled by his response. _Did he not understand her? Is this how some men take rejection? _

It doesn't take Bella long to figure out why Edward was so collected when she refused him. It's because to him, she hadn't refused him at all.

Over the next few weeks, Edward was everywhere. He would show up at the diner and eat with her, run into her at the grocery store, and even stop by her house… just to say hello. They never spoke about it, never once discussed the date. They just, enjoyed each other. By the end of those few weeks, she could actually say that they were friends. She expected to see him, now. She even liked it. They had exchanged numbers and spoke on the phone every once and a while.

He had also gotten more comfortable around her. He would touch her more. A hand on her lower back, pulling her in for a one armed hug when she would say something funny… Wiping foam from the corner of her mouth while she drank her latte. The last straw for her came on a Saturday morning when he showed up at her house to help her put a shelf up.

She was climbing up the steps of the ladder to set a picture frame on her new shelf when she lost her footing and fell back. She was ready for the pain to hit, but it never did. Instead, Edward caught her in his arms, turning her over so she slid down the front of his body until her feet touched the ground.

She was clutching his t-shirt in both her fists, still panicked from the fall. Her breaths were coming short and heavy as she stared into his smiling face.

"Hey, you okay?" he said, lifting one hand that was previously encircling her waist to place it on her face, over her flushed cheek.

"Yeah. Yeah." She steps back, out of his grasp, not liking the way he was making her feel. "Thanks," She laughs "that would've hurt like a bitch."

"You sure?" he whispers, stepping into her personal space and placing that damn hand on her neck, forcing her to look at him.

She can't do this. She just can't. She starts shaking her head and she knows she's about to burst. She likes him too much and after getting to know him even more, her decision to stay away from him romantically is gutting her. She has to tell him. Has to let him know why he needs to stop this. Stop being so nice and cute and affectionate. She needs to warn him that it's for his own well being.

She turns away from him and begins pacing. She's twisting her fingers and fidgeting so much, Edward thinks she might start hyperventilating.

"Has anything weird ever happened to you? You know, like something inexplicable. Something that might've freaked you out?" She watches him. Waiting for some kind of reaction. The way he tilts his head to the side with that questioning look makes her realize that it's too soon to talk about her being a witch.

Jacob it is, then.

"Every single man that marries an Owens woman dies," she deadpans. "My mother, she's… she was an Owens." She's trying to be as calm as possible, but the pain of her loss is slowly creeping in, making its way to her heart and she hopes that she can hold out long enough to explain herself.

"Excuse me?" He's staring at her like she's just lost her mind and is about to start laughing when he notices how serious she looks. He reaches for the armrest of the couch behind him and sits down, waving a hand at her, motioning her to continue.

"I can't exactly explain how it happens, but it does. And it's fast. Car accident, work accident, stroke, heart attack… They apparently don't ever feel any pain." She whispers more to herself than to him.

"My um… my father died when I was a little girl. My uncles." She takes a deep breath, trying not to let the tears overtake her. "My husband."

At that, Edward's head shoots up and he openly stares at her, mouth hanging wide. "Your what?"

_After her mother's death, Isabella went to live with her aunt Beth. Elizabeth Owen was a unique woman. She had the most eclectic taste in clothes… and in men, as well. Isabella's aunt had gone through more men than she could count. She always told her niece that they just weren't the right ones. Isabella always found it strange that her aunt had never married, never loved someone enough to be with them for more than a few months. _

_Time passed and Isabella began noticing some strange things. Women would show up to the house and hand Beth money, asking her to 'do things'. One day she asked her aunt. _

"_They are love spells, my darling." _

"_Why would someone need a love spell?"_

_Her aunt sighed, put down the book of incantations that she was looking through and turned to her little love. "Isabella, the heart is a funny thing. Sometimes it needs a little push in the right direction," she giggled, tickling Isabella's sides. _


End file.
